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COPD and Other Stuff This is a patient-to-patient blog to exchange information and resources…from COPD to Arthritis to Cellulites to Sarcoidosis to Sleep Apnea to RLS to Psoriasis to Support Groups to Caregivers and all points in between.

Tag Archives: Christopher H. Goss

Christopher Hooper Goss, MD, UWMC is my lung
doctor at the University of Washington and was
part of the team preparation for my operation. It was clear
to me that this operation was mandatory. The huge and growing
tumor was killing me and it might be cancerous.

I could and did live with the bone on bone left hip
problem. A hip operation is not mandatory.

The growing tumor I hadn’t known about was choking the life out
of me. Quality of life had turned into an existence – an
existence squeezed with the tumor that filled my belly. As a
lung patient, I believe the best chance for a good outcome requires
my lung doctor involvement. Luckily, wonderful surgeon and
Assistant Professor, University of Washington Medical
Center Dr. Urban and her team agreed.

I know Kitsap County has wonderful
cancer doctors and professionals. I have
been told by survivors and written about them.

In my patient point of view, however – my lung
diseases were primary and meant that my best chance for
survival and a good result – was including Dr. Goss, my lung doctor
with the operating team. I believed then and now that his
involvement was vital to my waking up after the operation.

The aftercare machine was large and the University of
Washington Medical Hospital nurses regularly changed out
the container holding the fluid. My camera was usually ready
whenever I heard the ‘okay, shoot’ from the nurse or
technician.

The machine’s tube stuck in my belly pumping the excess fluid
away.

To come home the ACTI V. A. C. is
the device that let me come home after six days at the
University Hospital and into the capable hands of
the Harrison Home Health Care folks.
Otherwise, I was willing to learn the wet to dry method of wound
care and do it myself.

The University of Washington Docs and nurses were universal in
their patient interest and I enjoyed listening to the different
ideas flow until there was a consensus for treatment.

I have misplaced most of the business cards I had asked for –
including for this photo. The girl here was extraordinary in
her care and helpfulness. Interesting too, she is a shop
steward for the local union – a bright girl.

I write this blog for reasons I have stated many times
before. As hard as it is sometimes I have to tell the whole
story or I cannot write about them at all.

The fact is there were too many times I had to pull myself into
the doorway of my room out to the hall to find someone to help
me. It was hard not to notice all the folks at the end of the
hall doing nothing but talking together ignoring the light I had on
– time after time.

I progressed quickly into pulling myself and whatever I was
attached to into the bathroom. I could not wait long enough
for the light to get someone there to help me and remember feeling
surprised that the aides at Harrison are incredible in their zeal
to help patients while the U aide folks were different. Most
of the aides I encountered at the U were just the opposite.

One person told me “If you don’t trust me, I can’t help
you.” He wanted me to let go of the bed and hang on to him
while he lifted me into the bed. (A rule of thumb…a patient needs
to be able to get into and out of the bed before they can go home)
At that point, another person had helped me discover I could
get into bed using the other side of the bed and just needed help
lifting my legs up at the same time to lessen the left hip
pain.

Trouble is, if he dropped me, I was the one to get hurt not him.
I could not do it. Patients need to do for themselves as
quickly as possible to heal quickly. Often times, after
a while, a nurse answered my call light…not their job – but I’m
grateful they did. Incidentally, I rarely called for
help.

Truth be told, had those folks worked for me, I would have fired
every one that refused to do their job and hire folks with empathy
and concern for the patient – such as the aides at Harrison.

On the other hand – the flip side of this coin – if wanting to
do things for myself makes me a difficult patient…? I hope
not.

This person was wonderful in her care. The plastic is part
of the machine that steadily drew the excess fluid and blood out of
my belly.

My left leg was still healing from Lymphedema and traces of the
recent bloody waterfall show on my upper legs. The machine
had apparently lost its suction when I strained in the
bathroom.

When I stood up and moved, the backed up fluid burst like a
waterfall through the opening in my belly. My hands tried to
help the wound close and stem the tide but the bloody fluid burst
like a waterfall through my fingers and formed little rivers over
the floor.

The portable machine had arrived and the plan was for me to go
home the next day. However, after the bloody waterfall I
wouldn’t leave until I knew it would stay in and so I stayed one
extra day. The doctors, nurses and many of the staff are
extraordinary, fun caregiver professionals but I wasn’t comfortable
about leaving. The next series of photos show the machine
connected in the opening below my staples.

Seeing the gloves go on, I knew the suction tube was ready to be
inserted into my belly and the machine turned on.

The tidy row of staples above the opening to be soon filled with
the black sponge and suction tube.

Measuring the opening width

…and depth

The black sponge is cut to size and placed inside the open wound
with an empty clear tube inside to gather the fluid and run it into
a small reservoir on the side of the machine.

The black sponge is inside the wound.

The tube is inside and the plastic type sheet, cut to size will
help seal the opening

All finished, the tube and little machine and I were new best
friends and almost ready to go home.

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About This Blog

This is a patient to patient blog to exchange information and resources...from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) to Arthritis to Cellulites to Sarcoidosis to Sleep Apnea to RLS to Psoriasis to Support Groups to Caregivers and all points in between. Written by Sharon O'Hara.